Last Spring I spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia as a first time visitor. Savannah is a lovely and interesting little town, although quite touristy, especially along the popular Riverfront. But it has a lot to offer a hungry food enthusiast from the sticks.

Some of my more memorable Savannah taste experiences were - the still-warm pralines from River Street Sweets, sipping the mango bubble tea on the second story outdoor porch of the Boba Cafe while watching the street activity at the City Market down below, and Cobblestone Café’s incredible breakfast of shrimp and cheese grits with gravy. I still dream about that last one!

Surprisingly, the most disappointing dish I tried was one of the major specialties of the region. When I first read about Low Country Boil (a.k.a. Beaufort or Frogmore Stew) it sounded delicious. I could almost taste it in my mind’s mouth - succulent shrimp simmered with flavorful smoked sausage in a spicy broth with new potatoes, sweet onions, and fresh corn on the cob. I couldn’t wait to try it in its native habitat.

My big mistake was trying Low Country Boil at one of the well-touristed River Street restaurants. The shrimp were overcooked, the potatoes undercooked, the corn was mushy, and the broth was blander than dishwater. But I knew this dish had potential if properly prepared. My mind’s mouth couldn’t be wrong!

When I got home I set forth to create the Low Country Boil of my dreams. I knew I shouldn’t just throw everything together in a pot and boil it. Each ingredient cooks differently, so I determined the proper sequence and timing for adding each ingredient to the pot so each would be cooked perfectly. To make the broth flavorful and spicy I allowed the seasonings to spend time just sitting in the water to fully release their flavors. Simmering the smoked sausage in this flavored water for a little while before adding any other ingredients added a smoky flavor to the broth. Fresh lemon supplied a spark of acid.

Now this was Low Country Boil! The shrimp were juicy and tender. The smoked sausage and seasoned broth exchanged flavors with each other, to the benefit of both of them. The potatoes were cooked just perfectly and had absorbed enough of the seasoned broth to be flavorful with a zip of spiciness. The corn was moist and tender and snapped when bitten.

Do try this at home! It is the perfect casual summertime meal and may easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd (but be sure to use a very big pot).